Breakdown of Du kan købe hvad som helst i kiosken, hvis du har penge med.
med
with
have
to have
købe
to buy
hvis
if
Questions & Answers about Du kan købe hvad som helst i kiosken, hvis du har penge med.
Why are there two verbs, kan and købe?
Because kan is a modal verb, and modal verbs are followed by another verb in the infinitive.
So the structure is:
- Du = subject
- kan = finite verb
- købe = infinitive
In Danish main clauses, the finite verb normally comes in second position, so kan comes early in the sentence, while købe stays later.
Why is there no at before købe?
After modal verbs such as kan, vil, skal, må, bør, Danish normally uses a bare infinitive, without at.
So:
- du kan købe
- not du kan at købe
This is similar to English can buy, not can to buy.
Does kan here mean ability, possibility, or permission?
It can suggest possibility or ability, depending on context.
In this sentence, kan most naturally means something like:
- it is possible for you to buy things there
- you are able to buy things there, provided you have money with you
It does not mainly sound like formal permission here.
What exactly does hvad som helst mean grammatically?